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Editorial Review by Gregory Dal Piaz:

Creamy and lightly spicy oak accents add vanilla and toasted cinnamon Pop Tart notes to the fruit here, which shows red cherry and raspberry notes. Smooth and medium weight on entry, this shows a nice bed of tannin and good acidity supporting a nice balance of raspberry fruit and spicy oak notes. The fruit turns a bit blacker on the back end, which gives way to a slightly oak-dominated finish. This is fairly elegant and long, certainly not a bruiser though I do think it needs 12 -18 months to fully integrate. 87pts

Editorial Reviews for Sausal Winery Zinfandel Alexander Valley Family

Creamy and lightly spicy oak accents add vanilla and toasted cinnamon Pop Tart notes to the fruit here, which shows red cherry and raspberry notes. Smooth and medium weight on entry, this shows a nice bed of tannin and good acidity supporting a nice balance of raspberry fruit and spicy oak notes. The fruit turns a bit blacker on the back end, which gives way to a slightly oak-dominated finish. This is fairly elegant and long, certainly not a bruiser though I do think it needs 12 -18 months to fully integrate. 87pts

Big dill, vanilla and candied red cherry on the nose, with a touch of caramel and some nuanced white pepper. Nice feel right upfront with good acids and supple tannins -- in fact, the acid gives a very appealing sour red cherry/raspberry tone to the fruit. The fruit shows excellent purity and, while it is a bit simple up front, it gains a nice touch of gentle wood spice on the long, juicy finish. Very bright and delicious! 91pts

Fumey on the nose at first with nice underlying sour red fruits and a bit of candied apple and red plum with a notes of white pepper and some soft animale notes and floral tones makes this different and fairly complex. Gains a tobacco/resin note with air. Rich, soft and gently sweet at first with a nice old vines feel. Good transparency to the flavors and for all the intensity there is no fat here. Very wild raspberry and plummy with nice purity to the fruit but not much else going on. Finishes on the short side with a sneaky return of red raspberry, vanilla, herb and resin. 89pts

50 Year old vines - A tight and precise slightly smoky roasted blackberry tone greets the nose, it’s candied in a way but still has a clarity and freshness to it that is appealing. It’s a little exotic with a nice balsamic note and a touch of roasted/medicinal herb quality that adds nice tension to the nose. Soft in the mouth with enough tannin to give the fruit volume but still allowing the wine to be supple. Nice juicy acids support rather fresh raspberry fruit with that same herbal/medicinal character contributing a bit of edginess to the wine and leading to a nice, slightly tarry and earthy finish. 89pts

Very slow to open with subtle vanilla and herb tinged dark, marmaladey fruits that recall date and fig. Fairly caramelly with faded baking spice tones. Big and plush on entry then turning more focused and elegant on the mid-palate. The boysenberry fruits in the mouth are orange tinged with the citrussy acids and the tannins offer a creamy mouthfeel but the wine feels diffuse and while there is a nice candied/medicinal edge to the finish it’s a bit to short. Appealing mouthfeel but lacking in intensity. 85pts

Member Reviews for Sausal Winery Zinfandel Alexander Valley Family

The wine is somewhat lighter in color, with a rich ruby color permeating the glass. The nose is classic Zin, with a rich combination of ripe fruit scents, from ripe blackberries, sweet cherries and plums, along with a characteristic sweet spice that practically dares you to drink in the whole glass. The taste is very fruit forward, but not really jammy as some Zins tend to be, it has very nice balance of fruit, spice and acidity. Midpalate, the fruit subsides and the spice really kicks in, carrying through to the wonderfully supple finish supported by lovely, soft tannins.
See my full review on my blog here: http://allaloneonaplanetfullofpeople.blogspot.com/2013/02/2009-sausal-family-zinfandel.html

Starts out as a hot wine. Strong tast of alcohol in the first sip. 20 minutes of air helps it big time. Fruit emerges--plums or blackberries--and alcohol diminishes. Very robust jammy wine--typical of the style of the day for old vine zins. It will be interesting to finish off the bottle, tonight. Last night we served this wine with grilled sirloin, stuffed potatoes, and spicy grilled cauliflower and grape tomatoes. $16.99 in 2009.

External Reviews for Sausal Winery Zinfandel Alexander Valley Family

Vintage: 2008
07/06/2011

Winemaker's Notes - This estate Zinfandel is produced from dry farmed vines that average 50 years of age. Following fermentation, the wine is aged twenty months in a combination of American and French oak barrels, adding complexity. The result is a soft and approachable Zinfandel. Pair this wine with spicy pasta, pork or grilled chicken. The Family Zinfandel will cellar well for at least six years.

WE 92 Pts - This estate Zinfandel is produced from dry farmed 90-year-old vines. This wine is aged for seventeen months in French oak barrels, yielding a jammy and dense Zinfandel. The Private Reserve Zinfandel will cellar well for at least ten years.